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Acura Type S Concept looks even better in the Monterey sun

A few days ago, Acura showed its Type S Concept in an album of dramatically lit press photos. It is our extreme pleasure to report that the Acura Type S Concept on display at The Quail, with no shadows nor Photoshop to hide in, is even more pleasing to the eye than it was in those photographs. This is the sedan the brand said "sets the stage for re-introducing Type S performance variants to the Acura line-up after a decade hiatus, and will heavily influence the character of the upcoming, second-generation TLX Type S." Our hope is that the phrase "heavily influence the character of" is code for the word "be," and Acura's simply not ready to admit it yet. From the new rectangular "Jewel Eye" LED headlights to the front fascia that could double as an Orc weapon, the flanks with a pentathlete's balance of muscle and leanness, those Halo beam rifle taillights, and the mortar-launcher quad-pipes, this concept is the bee's knees. Acura calls the design language "Chicane," and this expression of it is everything a fan wants to see from the brand. The Double Apex Blue Pearl paint, forged carbon accents, and functional vents only make the sculpture better. We're promised two new Type S offerings in the next two years, an RDX Type S presumed to follow the TLX version. They can't come soon enough. We encourage you to check out the gallery and enjoy every angle of the preview for Acura's coming attractions.

Acura TL gets its top chopped

The roofless Acura TL you see above is a product of Newport Convertible Engineering. No stranger to taking the lids off of Acuras - and a bunch of other cars, like this Jaguar XJ and this Toyota FJ Cruiser - NCE says it was the first US coachbuilder to produce an Acura NSX convertible.
NCE says the conversion takes about six weeks to complete, comes with a five-year warranty from the supplier and doesn't void the original warranty from Acura. On top of that, the interior fitments like sun visors, trunk space and rear seat belts all remain unaltered. Customers who are absolutely against the B-pillar can have it removed, but NCE says "The vehicle will be designed differently without the center bar."
To our eyes the TL looks pretty all right without a roof, and with stripes. NCE will shortly be preparing convertible versions of the 2013 Range Rover Supercharged Autobiography, Porsche Cayenne and Cadillac XTS. For Acura owners, there's a press release below with information on NCE if you have a TL and an urge to go way beyond the sunroof.

Pair of perfect Honda NSX Type Rs go up for auction in Tokyo

While the original Acura NSX is a brilliant supercar in any of its iterations, we never got the best version of it here in America: the Type R. Those came with Honda badges and are right-hand drive only. Unless you're in Japan or are lucky enough to come see an imported example elsewhere, you're not going to come across one of these. To see two practically perfect examples go up for auction at the same time is an even rarer sight. Some first-generation NSX Type R models (1992-1995 model years) can be imported to the U.S. now that they have surpassed the 25-year mark. However, this 1995 model is still a hair too new. Should that stop you from buying it and waiting a few months to take U.S. delivery? Certainly not. This car being offered at Tokyo's BH Auction with a grand total of 534 miles on its odometer. The seller claims it's 100% original and in pristine condition. Honda did a lot to transform the NSX into the first Type R of many to come. To start, engineers cut 308 pounds out of the car by using aluminum in even more places than before, deleting sound deadening, eliminating the A/C and stereo and using carbon-kevlar Recaro bucket seats. The 3.0-liter V6 was balanced and blueprinted. Then the suspension was given a full makeover with stiffer dampers, springs, bushings and a larger front sway bar. There were plenty of other little things throughout, but we'll spare you the long list. The number you need to know most is the estimated auction price. BH Auction thinks this NSX Type R will go for $227,000 - $272,000. 2005 Honda NSX-R View 21 Photos Next up is the ultra-rare 2005 Honda NSX-R. This R was based-off the NA2 NSX, so it has a 3.2-liter V6 and six-speed manual transmission with the new bodystyle that ditches the pop-up headlights. The 2005 model year was the last for the first-gen NSX, meaning this R is just about as new as they come. Many of the modifications that Honda did for the first Type R were repeated here. This model used carbon fiber more judiciously, though, replacing the hood, deck lid and spoiler with the lightweight material. The auction house claims just 140 NA2 NSX-Rs were made, so this is an incredibly rare car. Sadly, nobody here will be able to import it and drive it on American roads for quite some time yet. The price is estimated to come in at $345,000 - $436,000. That's pricey but this NSX has an even lower odometer reading than the other at just 348 miles.